The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) busted an illegal alprazolam manufacturing operation in Anand district on Thursday, arresting six individuals in connection with the crime. The raid uncovered 107 kg of alprazolam, valued at Rs107 crore, along with 1,151.8 kg of chemicals used in production.
According to Harsh Upadhyay, the additional commissioner of police at ATS, the factory was located in Neja village within Khambhat taluka. The suspects had been producing alprazolam without the required license from the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), violating the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Of the six arrested, five were involved in operating the unlicensed facility, while the sixth suspect, Ajay Jain, was apprehended in Nandurbar, Madhya Pradesh. Jain, a previous convict in a narcotics-related case, had served a 16-year sentence for a similar offense investigated by the Central Narcotics Bureau.
The investigation continues as authorities trace the network of individuals involved in the illegal supply of the psychotropic drug.